


Matter of Life & Death

by RealityXIllusion



Series: Gintama-One Shots [3]
Category: Gintama
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Helper Gintoki, Hijikata Toshirou Needs a Hug, Kondo is a awesome big brother, Let Okita Mitsuba Live!, Mitsuba Arc, Mitsuba's fiance is a fucking asshole, Okita Mitsuba Needs a Hug, Okita Sougo Needs a Hug, Sad Okita Sougo, They all need hugs, Upset & Confused Hijikata Toshirou, others are mentioned - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:01:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21882679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RealityXIllusion/pseuds/RealityXIllusion
Summary: Mitsuba Okita… she was still so young, she didn't deserve to die, no one did, not really, but especially not someone whose death would leave others a shell of their former selves.
Relationships: Hijikata Toshirou & Kondou Isao & Okita Sougo, Hijikata Toshirou & Okita Mitsuba
Series: Gintama-One Shots [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1576336
Comments: 2
Kudos: 42





	Matter of Life & Death

**Author's Note:**

> This one's a bit short compared to the others, but reading and watching Mitsuba's arc in Gintama had me in tears, I wished there was some way she could've been saved... so I tried my best.

His body was on the move before he even fully realized what he was doing. Seeing the sadistic brats sister just lying in the hospital like that… the way her eyes faded as hope left her as one hour bled into the next… he had to leave the room multiple times as he found his emotions spiraling out of control. Usually, he had better control over himself, but this was bringing up too many unpleasant memories. Mitsuba Okita… she was still so young. Knowing that her illness was killing her, and seeing how much pain not only she was in but her brother and that Mayo-Bastard as well, hurt. It felt as though he was looking back at himself and Sensei when one of the first students that stayed in the dojo fell ill. 

They died after three days.

That was the first time he realized that people could die without getting killed on the battlefield.

It was the same look that he had seen on many others during the war as well. Illnesses weren't uncommon when some kind of white plague took out over half of their forces, the look of despair was etched into everyone's very being.

He didn’t want to wait around just to watch someone die. He's done that enough times to last him a lifetime. He did feel a bit bad just leaving so abruptly, but Kagura and Shinpachi were still there keeping her company. They probably thought he was trying to find a bathroom or something.

He needed to make a phone call.

It was a stretch seeing if that idiot had any type of medication or knew of any doctors that could help, but he couldn’t just sit back and do nothing.

* * *

"Sir!"

They stopped just inside of the hospital doors as a young-looking doctor made his way over to them. It was one of the many doctors who was placed in charge of Mitsuba's treatments.

"Is everything alright?" Kondo moved so that he stood before the doctor, one hand reaching back for Sougo's sleeve and the other grabbing onto Hijikata's shoulder.

The doctor smiled, "Yes sir. The medicine is kicking in faster than we dared hope. This is excellent news!"

“Medication?” Okita repeated, “What medication?”

“That friend of yours, the one from earlier, he dropped off the medication a few hours ago.”

“What friend?” Hijikata cut in, speaking for the first time all night.

“Ah well, it was that silver-haired friend of yours. He was here earlier with those two kids? That medicine… It’s an advanced medicine that I heard isn’t even sold on earth yet! I don’t know how he managed to get his hands on it and so quickly too…” The doctor smiled once more, gently, “We’ve already started Okita-San on the first dosage. There’s enough to last her two months, once she starts building up her strength we can slowly wear her off of the medication-”

“Wait, she… she’s going to get better?” Hijikata blinked rapidly, “I-I thought…”

The doctor’s smile fell as he looked at each of them in the eye before continuing, “Without the medicine then she wouldn’t have lasted the night. Your friend said that if she needs more than the two months' worth that he brought in then to let him know and he’ll get more. Though with how well her body is responding to the meds already, I doubt she’ll even need more than a month's worth.”

"So my sister… my sister's not going to… she won't die?" Okita whispered, for the first time since his whole mess started, he sounded hopeful.

"She will still need to remain in the hospital to regain her strength and we need to work on rebuilding her immune system. There's a high chance of her having fevers on and off for the next couple of months… but yes. Your sister is going to be just fine.

Kondo let go of Okita's sleeve smiling softly to himself as he bowed and thanked the doctor before rushing off to his sisters’ room. Kondo let his hand slide off of Hijikata's shoulder, expecting him to follow after and was surprised when he just stood there. The doctor left shortly afterward, promising to come to find them if he had any new information on Mitsuba's condition.

“...Where the hell did Yorozuya run off to?” Hijikata muttered.

“Come on Toshi, what he did… don’t get mad at him for this.”

Glancing at Kondo out of the corner of his eye, Hijikata brought his lighter up to his lips only to remember at the last second that he couldn't smoke inside of the hospital, “...I’m not. I just want to know what the hell he was thinking, there’s no way he has the money to pay for that kind of medication. And how the hell did he get it so quick?”

“Yorozuya has a habit of randomly popping up doesn’t he?” Kondo grinned, “Though… I can’t say it bothers me. After all, without that medicine, who knows how long she would’ve… Why is this bothering you so much?”

“Because that perm-headed idiot doesn’t like the Shinsengumi remember?! Why do this?”

“So he says, but he and Sougo get along, don’t they? Yorozuya isn't a bad guy, most of the time we've run into him he was in the middle of helping somebody else. He’s even helped us out a few times...”

“The hell should I know? They’re both sadistic bastards.” Hijikata sighed, "I just… you heard the doctor. This medication… it's not even being distributed on Earth at the moment. So how the hell did he get his hands on it, and what did he pay for it? Did he even pay for it?"

"That is a bit… worrying," Kondo grimaced, "I suppose we could look into this but… you don't want to look into this because it might be illegal, do you?"

"I don't like being in debt."

"I don't think he's expecting any sort of favors from this, Toshi."

“I know and that’s what pisses me off.”

They headed down the corridor, walking past a few familiar nurses they had spoken to when Mitsuba was first admitted. Kondo sat down in one of the chairs outside of Mitsuba’s room and Hijikata took the seat right next to him. Neither of them spoke another word until Yamazaki showed up hours later, needing one of them to get the paperwork finished for the arrest of Kuraba and his men. Hijikata was kept seated by Kondo’s hand on his shoulder, he watched as Kondo walked off with Yamazaki leaving him there in the hallway alone.

It wasn't until the end of visiting hours when Okita finally left the room.

"She's a bit delirious at the moment, but that's because she has a fever," Okita cleared his throat meeting Hijikata's eyes, "I'm gonna head back to the barracks to get cleaned up… you should go see her."

"I don't-"

"If you leave without seeing my sister then I really will kill you, you know."

Not awaiting a response, Okita quickly went around Hijikata and headed down the hall. Hijikata stood there, unsure whether or not he was actually expected to enter the hospital room. Sighing lightly, he quietly pushed the door open and walked inside. Okita had said she was delirious at the moment but as soon as she walked in she didn’t even turn toward him. Instead, she was laying down in bed with her eyes locked on the window. He moved over by her side, hesitantly sitting down in the most uncomfortable plastic chair he’s ever been in. Her glazed eyes met his briefly before moving past him to stare off into the far corner.

She was completely out of it but he didn’t care. She was still there, with her heart beating and it would keep on beating through the night. 

He left the hospital only after making sure that Mitsuba was comfortably sleeping with a nurse promising to frequently stop by to check in on her. Seeing an all too familiar perm a couple of feet away from the exit, Hijikata gritted his teeth and strode over, determined.

“Oi, Yorozuya!”

“Ooh? What? You can’t start a fight with me for just standing here, you know.”

“I-I’m not here to start a-damnit just shut up would you?” Hijikata scowled, “I just wanted to say… thanks, for you know… it means a lot to Sougo.”

Gintoki smirked, “To Sougo huh?”

Hijikata bristled, “Yes. He thought he was going to lose his sister, so he’s thankful okay? Don’t be a fucking asshole about this.”

“...It’s okay to admit you were worried for her,” Gintoki frowned, “Take it from me, pushing away someone you love just to try and protect them? It does jack shit. All you’re accomplishing is hurting them.”

“I’m not-”

“Yes, you are. You’re allowed to love her, it’s pretty damn obvious she loves you too.”

Hijikata’s hands clenched into fists, his teeth biting through the cigarette hanging in his mouth, causing part of it to fall to the ground, “...Whatever. Just-Thanks. She’s okay now so… thanks.”

"But she's going to be fine in the long run?" Gintoki tilted his head letting the subject drop, for now, his bangs falling into his eyes.

"...Yeah. Yeah, she is," Hijikata took a deep breath in, "Doctor says she'll still have a fever on and off for a few months afterward and she'll be experiencing some fatigue. She’ll have to go to physical therapy to build her muscles back up… but she'll be okay."

"Good."

Hijikata glanced up at the night sky, purposely avoiding looking at Gintoki, "How did… how did you get that medicine for her?"

"I called in a favor from an old friend," Gintoki smirked before raising a brow, "I didn’t do anything illegal, so don't worry about it."

Besides, it's been a while since the idiots come to earth anyway.


End file.
